1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to cast in place concrete walls and, more particularly, to a method of forming a cast in place concrete wall wherein the resultant wall has a substantially smooth and uniform outer surface texture.
2. Description of the Related Art
As is well known in the construction industry, concrete is a commonly used material for the fabrication of walls and barriers. The desirability of the use of concrete as a construction material is attributable to certain characteristics that concrete possesses in comparison to other construction materials. More particularly, walls and barriers may be quickly and easily constructed through the use of concrete, with the concrete also imparting a high level of durability to such structures. In addition, the use of concrete for the fabrication of walls and barriers offers a high level of design flexibility since the concrete may be molded into many different shapes and arrangements. The concrete is also easily transportable to construction sites via concrete transport trucks.
Many of the concrete walls that are constructed in accordance with the current state of the art are referred to as cast in place walls. A concrete cast in place wall is typically constructed on-site rather than being manufactured at an off-site facility and subsequently transported to the construction site. The fabrication of a cast in place concrete wall typically begins with the construction of a concrete wall form. Subsequent to the construction of such form, concrete is poured thereinto and is given time to cure. Once the concrete has cured, the corresponding wall form is removed from the fully formed concrete structure. Upon the removal of the form, the exposed walls of the concrete structure may be sandblasted to apply a finishing texture thereto.
One of the deficiencies associated with the currently known cast in place wall construction methodology is that the resultant wall or other structure tends to have a roughened surface texture upon the removal of the form therefrom. In this regard, there tends to be slight inconsistencies in the overall finish of the wall or other structure, such inconsistencies being caused by any one of a number of different factors, including inconsistencies in the form work, sandblasting, finishing, concrete and/or the placing or pumping of the concrete into the form. Further, small holes or other indentations are often found throughout the exposed surfaces of the wall or other structure, such holes or other indentations being formed as a result of the entrapment of air during the forming process. These holes or other indentations are undesirable, in as much as they diminish the aesthetic appeal of the wall or other structure.
In order to avoid the surface finish inconsistencies highlighted above, there has been developed in the prior art a method of creating uniform texture concrete walls. In accordance with this methodology, the concrete wall is “pre cast,” with the cast face of the wall being side down and the wall being erected into place through the use of a crane. However, this particular process is not well suited to forming concrete structures wherein multiple faces or sides of the structure are to be provided with a substantially uniform texture. The present invention addresses this need in the art by providing a methodology for forming concrete structures such as walls or barriers having substantially smooth or uniform exterior surface textures.